A strong whiff of Madhya Pradesh fills Sankara Hall: vegetable-dyed Bagh saris, the rainbow colours of tribal bead jewellery and sequined Bhopal batuas.
The 30 artisans present at Mrignayani’s ‘Handicrafts and Handlooms of Madhya Pradesh’ tell the story behind each craft - a mix of history, geography and myth. The Maheswari sari, for instance, carried the specially-designed woven border suggested by Rani Ahalyabai and its motifs reflect the architectural feature of the Maheswari forts.
The Bagh sari’s softness comes from its many baths in the waters of Baghini and the Bhopal batua once contained ashrafis, to be showered on ‘mujra’ artists. Pushpa Harit’s glass bead jewellery line is inspired by the jewellery made and worn by the tribal women of Jhabua in Dhar district, where the designer grew up.
Pushpa says, “I’d watch with awe the intricately done jewellery with their unique motifs, which could mimic embroidery of textile or reflect classical jewellery. I studied tribal jewellery closely, learnt the technique and decided to give it a higher, more contemporary format, while remaining true to tribal jewellery forms, design and motif.”
Dilip Soni and Sajjan Soni create brass forms of unusual beauty using the lost wax or cire per due technique. Antique brass lamps, oil containers, kajal boxes and grain storage bins are part of their collection. “Each product has been given an antique finish with sulfur tejaab to which we add silver and copper. We splash the solution on the brass product and heat it on a stove”.
Among Sajjain’s collection are pretty Ganga jal oil containers, while Dilip has crafted an antique hookah.
Gond artist Amarlal Khushram adds traditional lines and dots of the art on canvas. Leaping animals from the jungles, trees laden with flowers, and Ganeshas fill the frames.
“We tell our own stories,” says Amarlal, “though our beliefs and mythology have been handed town to us orally.”
A range of Chanderis, Dabu resist and Maheswari saris and yardage is on offer besides Kantha saris.
‘Handicrafts and Handlooms of Madhya Pradesh’ is on at Sri Sankara Hall, TTK Road, Alwarpet, between August 18 and 21.
